When I'm Dead: A Black Harbor Novel (Black Harbor Novels)

by Hannah Morrissey

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery - her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions… details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.

• ISBN10: 1250872340
• ISBN13: 9781250872340
• Publish Date: 20 November 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Minotaur Books,US
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250872340

Reviews

[chymerra]

When I’m Dead was an interesting read for me. I liked that this was a dark thriller where I couldn’t figure out who the killer was. I was not too fond of the multiple POVs, but they grew on me. They did give me insight into Chloe and the facts surrounding her disappearance. They also gave me insight into the people murdered and how the murders are tied to Chloe.

The main storyline is centered around the murders and Chloe’s disappearance. The investigation into the murders did raise my eyebrows, though. The main detective and the medical examiner knew the victim(s) and, later on, knew what they did to their daughter. I know this is fiction, but I didn’t think it was kosher. I also thought that Axel interrogating suspects was against everything I knew about police procedure. The author does attempt to explain why they were both working the cases. There was a shortage of MEs and police officers. Then there is Libby’s role in everything. She didn’t tell Axel or Rowan everything she knew and, most importantly, defaced evidence in Chloe’s room. Her behavior made me think she was a suspect until it was proven she wasn’t (alibi). But Libby was central in figuring out who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive behind everything.

The mystery angle was well written. The author gave a ton of red herrings and had me thinking different people were the killer/kidnapper. Heck, she even had me thinking that Chloe did it and ran away. But when she revealed who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive, I was shocked. That person wasn’t even on my radar.

The suspense/thriller angle was also well-written. I was kept on the edge of my seat, wondering when Chloe would be found and the killer would be revealed. And at the end of the book, I was on edge with everything happening.

The end of When I’m Dead was great. I liked the twists that the author threw in about the killer. As I mentioned above, I had zero clue about the killer’s motive and who the killer was. I felt that the very end of the book was a little anti-climactic due to everything that happened.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Hannah Morrissey for allowing me to read and review this ARC of When I’m Dead. All opinions stated this this review are mine.

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Black Harbor is no stranger when it comes to death, violence, and loss. The area is actually rather well-known for the horrors that happen within its borders. Yet everyone takes note when a teenage girl turns up dead.

Worse, her death seems to be kicking off a series of events, as later that very evening, another girl goes missing. Now, two parents are desperately doing everything in their power to bring their girl home, and given their professions, they know how little time they have to work with.

My Review:

Before I dive into my review, I want to point out that When I'm Dead is the third book in the Black Harbor series. It's not clearly marketed as such, so it's worth noting. That said, the story does read as more of a standalone. For example, I haven't read the first two books in the series (though I will now), and other than not knowing the other "bad events" of the area, I was able to follow along without issue.

When I'm Dead is split into two primary perspectives, Rowan and Axel. Through their eyes, we see two very different reactions to the same circumstance: a missing girl (their daughter). It was heartbreaking and fascinating. But there's so much more than that, as once is a medical examiner and the other is a police officer. You can see how much nuance that adds to the story.

Okay, the fact that the city let these two parents work on their own daughter's missing person case is...unrealistic. Then again, apparently, the situation in Black Harbor was so bad that they couldn't afford to tell them no? That would be the missing backstory I mentioned earlier.

Overall, I must say that When I'm Dead is a tense read. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat, even while you stop and question the actions of these parents. Personally, it was enough to make me want to go back and read the other two books.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
Husband & Wife Duo
Multiple Perspectives
Running from the Past

Trigger Warnings:
Dead/Missing Teens

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